Asian Broccoli with Hoisin Glaze
Broccoli florets and peeled stem matchsticks browned in a hot skillet, then finished with a hoisin, soy and chili garlic glaze that reduces around them in two minutes. Sweet, salty and sharp, and it uses the whole head.
Ingredients
The Broccoli
- 2 pounds broccoli crowns about 2 large heads, stems attached
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or another neutral oil with a high smoke point
The Hoisin Glaze
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch use 2 for a glaze that clings harder
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce tamari to keep it gluten-free
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce optional, leave out to keep it vegan
- 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar cut to 2 for a more savory glaze
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce the coarse red kind with visible seeds, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
To Finish
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil off the heat, not in the pan
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Prep the Broccoli
- Chop the woody bottom inch or two off each broccoli stem and throw it away. Cut the florets off and separate them into medium pieces.
- Peel the remaining stems with a vegetable peeler, going around once or twice until you reach the pale translucent core, then cut them into matchsticks roughly the length of the florets. Dry everything well if the broccoli has been washed, because wet broccoli will not brown.
Mix the Glaze
- Whisk the water, hoisin, cornstarch, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, chili garlic sauce and rice wine vinegar together in a small bowl until no lumps of cornstarch remain. Set it beside the stove.
Brown the Broccoli
- Heat a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat for 2 minutes, add the vegetable oil, and tip in the florets and stems. Spread them into as close to a single layer as you can and leave them completely alone for 3 to 4 minutes so they brown instead of steaming. Work in two batches if your pan is smaller.
- Toss, then keep cooking another 3 to 4 minutes until the florets are well browned in patches and a fork pushed into a thick stem matchstick meets a little resistance. The broccoli should be almost cooked, not fully.
Add the Glaze
- Lower the heat to medium, whisk the glaze again and pour it in. Stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns from watery to glossy and coats everything. Take the pan off the heat, stir in the sesame oil and scatter the sesame seeds over the top.
Notes
Pan size decides this recipe. Two pounds of broccoli needs a 12-inch skillet to sit in something close to a single layer. In anything smaller, brown it in two batches and combine them before the glaze goes in, or it steams and stays pale.
Do not stir for the first 3 to 4 minutes. Contact time with hot metal is what browns food.
Turn the heat down to medium before the glaze goes in. There are six tablespoons of sugar and hoisin in it and it scorches quickly in a screaming hot pan.
Whisk the glaze again immediately before pouring. Cornstarch settles into a solid layer within minutes.
The glaze is deliberately loose and pools a little. Use 2 teaspoons of cornstarch instead of 1 if you want it to cling harder.
Make-ahead: the glaze keeps a week refrigerated, and the broccoli can be cut a day ahead in a bag with a dry paper towel.
Storage: 4 days refrigerated, excellent cold. Do not freeze.
Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 138kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 545mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1010IU | Vitamin C: 135mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg